<Chapter 27>

Brix looked around, eyes gleaming with determination. Since she didn’t know the way, I stepped in front and began leading.

“This way.”

Wouldn’t it be easiest to just walk her around the Human Special Autonomous District once? I could use the chance to show her the human village too.

Of course, it wasn’t like I expected Brix to actually find her prince. This place was full of adults, and she was still a child.

‘No one would accept her anyway.’

Any reasonable adult would turn her down, obviously.

Still, instead of shutting her down, I figured it was better to let her try and realize it on her own. Sometimes, failure was the best teacher.

And maybe… it was a chance to grow closer to her.

“Oh? It’s the teacher… and the little mermaid!”

Just then, a fisherman from the hunting team passed by. Noticing Brix, he quickly shifted the net off his shoulder, probably worried about scaring her.

“Hello. This is Brix. She was curious about the human district, so I brought her along. Brix, say hi. Hey, Brix?”

Without so much as a glance at the man, Brix walked straight past me.

“Ah… We’ll be going now! Thanks for your work!”

I hurried after her. “Why’d you ignore him like that?”

“He’s ugly.”

“…Huh?”

“I’m here to find my prince. A prince must be handsome. I can’t just pick anyone.”

Well… fair enough.

“But still, saying it out loud could hurt his feelings.”

“Hmph.”

Kids really do say whatever comes to mind. I just hoped the fisherman hadn’t heard.

Only a few men caught Brix’s attention.

“Hello, Yoojun.”

Yoojun was in the plaza wrapping some bandages. Tall and good-looking, he immediately drew Brix’s eye.

“Don’t tell me you’re here for treatment? I’m a vet, you know. I can’t treat mermaids. I have treated dolphins though…”

“I shall grant you the chance to become my prince. You should feel honored.”

“What?”

Yoojun’s eyes widened. He glanced at me, clearly asking for backup.

“We read The Little Mermaid today.”

“Ah.”

He nodded, finally catching on.

“The mermaid would’ve been happier without the prince. Her foolish love ruined everything. She should’ve stayed in the sea and found someone there instead…”

“How dare you lecture me!”

Oh no. Brix’s temper flared. At this rate, she’d be making enemies everywhere she went.

“I’m so sorry! Thank you for your time. Let’s go.”

I quickly grabbed her and moved along.

“Wait.”

Brix suddenly stopped. She must have spotted her next target. At least in terms of appearance, this one seemed to pass her initial test.

“Lord, thank you for blessing us with such a beautiful day.”

“Hm. This won’t work. He believes in a different god. Mermaids worship the Almighty God Serenity.”

“That’s… complicated.”

And just like that, another candidate was eliminated.

By the time we’d made a full circle around the Human Special Autonomous District, the sky had begun to darken.

“Brix. Let’s take a little break.”

I was worn out and suggested resting. My legs were shaking.

“Tired already? Humans really are weak. Still, a short rest wouldn’t hurt.”

Thankfully, she agreed. I spotted a tree stump nearby and sat down.

“I must fall in love with a human prince. Only then will the witch grant me a human form.”

“What about finding someone who loves you just as you are? A mermaid.”

I was going to add “maybe another mermaid,” but Brix beat me to it.

“Why didn’t I think of that? I’ve been clinging to a fairy tale. That was foolish of me.”

“Right? There’s no need to become human unless you truly want to.”

“Someone already accepted me as I am. I can’t believe I didn’t realize it until now.”

She sounded so happy that I smiled. But… who was she talking about?

“Really? Who?”

“I’ve made my decision.”

She turned to face me. Her scales shimmered in the dim light.

“I will marry you, Teacher.”

…Excuse me?

I blinked in disbelief and pointed at myself. She nodded, full of confidence.

“You can’t just propose to someone you barely know.”

“Why not? Didn’t the little mermaid fall in love the moment she saw the prince?”

“Falling in love is fine. You can’t control your feelings. But marriage is a serious choice. You need time to think it through.”

Brix clearly didn’t like that. Her tail stirred in the tub, echoing her irritation.

“You think I’ll make a mistake? I’m the only one in class who got the subtraction problem right.”

“You’re smart, Brix. That’s exactly why you should think things through even more.”

Kids like Brix, full of confidence, sometimes make the strangest decisions. And because they’re smart, they believe they can’t be wrong.

‘I have to help her grow into not just a smart kid, but a wise one.’

I felt more sure than ever about my approach to teaching her.

“It’s getting late. Let’s head back. Your family’s probably worried.”

Though clearly annoyed, Brix didn’t argue and followed me.

We went back to the plaza, where a crowd had gathered around a bonfire, singing and laughing.

“What are they doing?”

“They’re having fun. Koreans love singing. We even have shows where people wear masks and sing on TV.”

‘I wonder if Brix likes singing?’

Her sulky face had softened. A mermaid who loves music… it fit so well.

“I shall sing as well.”

Without warning, she began to sing.

‘Whoa.’

She was good. Her voice rang clear and sweet, floating through the plaza and stopping people in their tracks.

“That’s amazing.”

“Are her parents singers?”

As soon as she finished, the crowd burst into applause.

No one was more excited than Youngja-unnie.

“She goes to my daycare! I bring her on the bus every day!”

“Ohhh!”

Really? She sure acted like they were best friends.

“She has the voice of an angel. Like a gift from heaven.”

“How do you sing that well?”

She was already gathering fans.

Feeling bad about ending the moment, I stepped in and raised my hands.

“Alright, that’s enough for tonight. It’s getting late. Youngja-unnie, can you drive us?”

“Of course. But she has to sing in the car!”

We all got on the bus without any trouble. As we drove, Brix stared out the window, murmuring to herself.

“Humans… aren’t so bad, I suppose.”

“Right? Everyone here’s pretty nice.”

There was a bad one, but he was caught before he could hurt Ardishu.

‘Eldic was furious when he found out.’

They were even talking about executing the culprit under elf law, but Lawyer Minji stepped in just in time.

‘She really is a top graduate. Even made a name for herself in the elf courts.’

He didn’t get off easy, though. He was sentenced to heavy labor.

Elf punishments are measured in centuries, so I’d probably never see Pilhyuk again.

‘Just goes to show, it pays to be good.’

Minji always said everyone deserved equal rights. Now she was working as a lawyer in the elf court, finally doing what she dreamed of.

She had always regretted not practicing law after passing the bar second in her class. Now, she finally got to use her skills.

“Humans will always welcome Brix.”

“Because I’m a noble mermaid? Or because I sing well?”

“Neither.”

I gently tucked her messy red hair behind her ear.

“It’s because Brix is kind to people. Kindness always comes back to you.”

“I see…”

Her emerald eyes darkened, deep in thought.

When we reached the river, a few mermaids were waiting.

“Welcome back. We’ve been wai—”

“What are you all doing? Show proper respect to this guest!”

Brix snapped at them, voice sharp with authority.

“May the blessing of the waters be upon you.”

The mermaids spun gracefully in the river. That must be their way of greeting.

“Hello. I’m Yoon Sora, Brix’s teacher—”

“She is my future spouse.”

Persistent little thing.

“Look, there’s a huge wall between us. We’re different species, there’s an age gap, and we’re both girls.”

But Brix stayed firm.

“The heart is what matters.”

“Well, yes, but still…”

“Tsk. You’re the adult and teacher, but I’ll be the one teaching you, it seems.”

With that, she dove into the water. She looked so free there, so alive.

“Your homework: come up with one hundred reasons why I’m wonderful.”

“Huh?”

And just like that, she disappeared. The other mermaids followed.

I stood frozen.

“Sora!” Youngja-unnie called.

“Coming!” I ran back to the bus.

‘I wonder how long mermaids live?’

Maybe not as long as dragons, but definitely longer than humans.

‘A love that crosses species… it’s impossible, isn’t it?’

That’s why it’s just a story.

No matter how deep the love, one day, their lives would pull apart.

‘Come to think of it…’

I remembered a dream. Most of it was a blur, except one part.

[“If you love me, give me your dragon heart.”]

If someone truly did that, maybe their love would become real.

‘Paul once said he’d give it to me without hesitation, so I wouldn’t die without it.’

But love like that comes with a price.

‘Giving someone your heart, literally, takes a love out of a fairy tale.’

It would take a certainty strong enough to last forever. And offering that to someone you’re only connected to by feeling, not blood, isn’t easy.

I thought about Brix and her dream of a tragic, cross-species romance.

It was fine for her. At her age, fairy tales were everything.

But I was an adult.

‘I can’t afford to fall into that kind of love.’

I leaned against the window. The bus moved through the dark, steady and quiet.

* * *

Time passed, and the field trip day arrived. The sun had been blazing all week, but thankfully, it clouded over just in time.

‘Perfect weather for taking Valentin out.’

The kids all looked healthy and ready.

I was especially worried about Brix. There would be a lot of stairs.

“You really thought I’d come unprepared?”

Brix held up her bracelet. Droplets of water floated around her.

“I brought an artifact. Behold, the treasure of the mermaids!”

She puffed out her chest proudly. Her lower body became surrounded by floating water, her pink tail gliding inside it like she was flying.

[“If you lose that, you’re in big trouble.”]

Apparently, the mermaids had warned Youngja-unnie over and over before letting Brix go. That’s why she made me promise to be extra careful.

It was a rare item, and I was a little nervous. But more than that, I was just happy Brix could enjoy the trip freely.

“I want to fly too.”

“I don’t need water to fly.”

Valentin looked at her with awe, while Paul crossed his arms, clearly feeling one-upped.

“Alright, single file train!”

At my cue, the kids lined up. We began climbing in a neat row.

They sang as they walked, pausing for water breaks—

“Ah! The path splits!”

“We’re going this way.”

I led them down the right trail I’d scouted beforehand.
 

<To be continued>

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